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STOCK PHOTOS: I recommend using Unsplash for your Sketch, Drawing, and Color References. If you are new to Adobe Illustrator, I recommend starting from a Clean Line Drawing or Traced Stock Photo. LEARNING TARGET: Download Stock Photos to use for your artwork and designs.
COLOR SWATCHES: I highly recommend using Adobe Color for your Themes to add to your Library or download ASE Files. If you are New, look for your Primary Business Colors for Branding. LEARNING TARGET: Download Color Themes to use with your own artwork and designs.
FONT FAMILIES: I recommend using Adobe Fonts for Commercial Use. If you are New, look for Font Families to use for your Primary Business or Marketing (Headers + Sub Headers). LEARNING TARGET: Download or Save Fonts to use with your own artwork and designs.
STOCK PHOTOS: Download Free Stock Photos (Unsplash / Pixabay / Pexels) to use as Drawing, Design, or Color References. BEGINNER: For your own artwork, I recommend starting from a Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo. ADVANCED: Gather and organize resources within the same project folder (Stock Photos / Sketches / Thumbnails / Color Swatches).
REFERENCE IMAGES: Look for Free Stock Photos to use as Drawing References for Proportions, Details, and Values. I recommend gathering a few different options based on the subject matter you are drawing. LEARNING TARGET: For your own artwork, I recommend starting from a Drawing, Sketch, or Traced Stock Photo. LEARNING TARGET: Use either Paper or Digital Drawing Methods.
DRAWING TEMPLATE: I have created a Drawing Template 2160px by 1080px. This will allow me to Export my Drawing or Sketch from Layers at 1080px by 1080px. Use Adobe Photoshop or any Drawing Program. For those of you Drawing on Paper, use a Scanner or download a Free Scanning App on your Phone to Digitize Sketches. LEARNING TARGET (1): Create a New Document 2160px by 1080px. DRAWING GUIDE
DRAWING OR TRACED PHOTO: The easiest starting point for Adobe Illustrator is a Clean Line Drawing or Traced Stock Photo. In the Beginner Tutorials and Guides, you will see me aligning the Building Tools to the Design Elements (Shapes and Lines) within my Sketch or Drawing. LEARNING TARGET (1): For your artwork, create a "Traceable Path" to align with the Building Tools in Adobe Illustrator. LEARNING TARGET (2): As you become more advanced, prepare your drawings for Specific Tools or Steps in your Workflow (ex. Pen Tool, Blend Tool, Repeat-Mirror, or Values).
ARTBOARDS: I will recommend a (1080px by 1080px, 300PPI, RGB) as your Initial or Base Artboard Size. The Initial Artboard Size can be changed at any point without ruining your own artwork. Use the Properties Panel to Scale Artwork and Artboards. LEARNING TARGET (1): Create a "Building Template" that includes Artboard Size, Resource Images, and Template Layers. LEARNING TARGET (2): Pick a "Building" Artboard Size you can use for your own Artwork and Social Media Postings. Example: Instagram uses 1080px as its base size to modify for Landscape, Square, or Portrait.
GENERAL PREFERENCES: All of our initial preferences are designed to gain more control over what you are clicking on. The more you can zoom in and see your anchors and handles the better. You can adjust the size of your Anchors and Handles under Selection and Anchor Display. Under your General Settings, make sure that Disable Auto Add/Delete is Selected.
SELECTION TOOLS: The Direct Selection Tool can grab and adjust the Anchors, Handles, and Paths. It is worth having your Smart Guides Path Labels Turned On so you know what the tool is selecting before dragging. The Selection Tool will move and select objects. I like using the Bounding Box for my Transform Tools, Turn On under View. I recommend this for Quick Scaling.
TEMPLATE LAYER: File-Place in your Resource Image (Traced Stock Photo, Drawing, or Sketch). Scale to Fit Artboard Size. In your Layers Panel, select the Menu in the Upper-Right Hand Corner. Drop down to Template. This will create a 50% Opacity and Lockout the Layer. Create a New Layer above to start working in Adobe Illustrator. LEARNING TARGET (1): Create a Template Layer. Add a new Layer above for "Building." LEARNING TARGET (2): Understand the Building Tools and Options.
PRIMARY BUILDING: Many of you will be using Shapes, Pencil, and Pen Tools as your Primary Building Tools. As I am creating my artwork, notice I am aligning the Tools to the Shapes and Lines within my Drawing. For your own artwork, look at your Resource Image, Drawing, or Sketch for obvious Shapes or Lines to align with the Building Tools. LEARNING TARGET (1): Understand the Building Tool and Options in Adobe Illustrator. BUILDING TUTORIALS / EDITING + VARIATION TUTORIALS / ADVANCED COLORING TUTORIALS
COLOR SWATCHES: Download Free Color Swatches (Adobe Color) to use with your own artwork and designs. I recommend starting by typing in the Subject Matter using the Explore Tab. You can also use the Extract Theme feature on Adobe Color or Canva to create a Color Theme based on your own Photo Reference. Add the Color Themes to your Library (CC) or download them as ASE files.
SAVING + OPENING: If you saved Color Swatches from Adobe Color as an .ASE File. Open Swatch Libraries from the “Other Library” Option. If you added to your Library (CC). Open from the Library Panel. Most Color Themes will use Hues as the Base Color. In the Beginner Tutorials, will be using Live Paint to create our Basic Fills or Flat Color Layer. LEARNING TARGET (1): Save or Download Color Swatches for your own artwork and designs. LEARNING TARGET (2): Open through the Swatches Panel or Library.
ADVANCED COLORING: In our Advanced Coloring Tutorials, we will be using Live Paint to create our Basic Fills or Flat Color Layer before moving on to Values and Gradients. LEARNING TARGET (3): Apply Color, Values, and Gradients using Advanced Coloring Techniques to your artwork or designs.
FONT FAMILIES: Download Font Families (Adobe Fonts / Google Fonts / Font Squirrel / Dafont) to use with your own artwork and designs. Sort through the Adobe Fonts that will align with your artwork or design. I recommend using the Tags to sort Fonts based on the Theme or Style of your design or artwork. LEARNING TARGET (1): Add Font Families that will align with your artwork or design.
ADOBE FONTS: Sort through the Adobe Fonts that will align with your artwork or design. I recommend using the Tags to sort Fonts based on the Theme or Style of your design or artwork. Add Fonts to Adobe Illustrator Photoshop and Illustrator by clicking the Toggle Switch or Add Family Button. LEARNING TARGET (1): Add Font Families that will align with your artwork and designs.
